Crate



May, 15, 1934. c. A. wooLsEY ET AL CRATE Filecz July 20, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 nvvsm-raes CHARLES A. WOOLSEY HENRY V. BOWMAN er W G S) JTTORNE Y6 May 15, 1934. c. A. WOOLSEY ET AL CRATE Filed July 20, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3) 293/ QLIM- Patented May 15, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE neapolis, Minn, assignors to Lincoln Equipment Company, Minneapolis, Minn, a corporation of Delaware Application July 20, 1931, Serial No. 551,915

Claims. (01. 21'7-19) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in crates, and more particularly to crates of the type used for transporting bottled goods such, for example, as milk, although it 5 may be used for various other purposes.

An object of the invention is to provide a crate of simple and inexpensive construction, yet strong and durable, provided at the corners with means for securing together the slats constituting the walls of the crate in such a manner that should a slat be broken, it may readily be removed from the crate and replaced by a new one in a comparatively short time.

A further object is to provide a crate somewhat similar in construction to the one disclosed in our copending application, Serial No. 438,083,

filed March 22, 1930, but utilizing a simplified form of anchor plate at the corners of the crate.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings, there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shown as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating our improved crate with some of the parts broken away to more clearly illustrate the construction thereof;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail sectional plan view showing the means for securing together the slats at the corner of the crate;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the anchor plates used at the upper and lower corners of the crate;

Figure 4 is a detail sectional plan view showing the manner of removing or inserting a slat in one of the crate walls;

Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating one of the intermediate anchor plates removed from the crate;

Figure 6 is a view illustrating the type of anchor plate used at the upper and lower corners of the crate; and

Figure 7 is a top view of Figure 6.

The novel crate featured in this invention comprises side and end walls 2 and 3, respectively, as shown in Figure 1, the side walls being composed of a plurality of slats 4, 5, 6, and '7, arranged one above another and secured together at the corners of the crate, as will be hereinafter described. The end walls are composed of relatively shorter slats 8, 9, 10, and 11, the ends of which are engaged with the slats of the side walls and alternately arranged with respect thereto, as clearly shown in Figure 1. Suitable hand holes 12 may be provided at the ends of the crate to facilitate moving the crate about from place to place.

The means provided for securing together the side and end walls at the corners of the crate is best shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4, and comprises suitable angle plates 13, secured to the outer corners of the crate so as to conceal the ends of the slats, as clearly shown in Figure 1. Each angle plate is provided at its vertical edges, with longitudinally extending channels 14 adapted to be seated in elongated recesses 15 provided in the outer faces of the slats adjacent the ends thereof The recesses 15 in the slats of each crate wall are so arranged as to be alined when the slats are assembled in the walls, as best shown in Figure 1, so that when the angle plates 13 are mounted thereon, the channels 14 provided at the marginal edges of the angle plates will be seated in the alined recesses 15, as clearly shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4. The lower end portions 16 of the angle plates 13 are oiiset inwardly, as best shown in Figure 1, and are seated in the bottoms of recesses 17 provided in the outer faces of the bottom slats '7 and 11.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of anchor plates or bars 18 seated against inner surfaces of the slats constituting the side and end walls of the crate. These anchor plates have laterally projecting portions 19 and 21 adapted to be fitted between contiguous slats, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The end portions 19 and 21 of the anchor plates are provided with suitable apertures 22 adapted to be alined with the longitudinally extending channels provided in the marginal edges of the angle plates 13, and are adapted to receive a suitable securing or looking wire 24. By thus securing the anchor plates 18 in position, the slats engaged therewith cannot accidentally become displaced, and also the operation of removing a damaged or broken slat from the crateand inserting a new one in place thereof is greatly expedited. The channeled edges of the corner plates 13 are provided with suitable slots or slits 23 adapted to receive the end portions 19 and 21 of the-anchor plates 18. Corner irons 25 are secured to the lower corners of the crate walls, as shown in Figure 1, and each of said corner irons extends inwardly beneath the corner edges of the slats '7 and 11 and have upturned lugs or ears 26 adapted to be seated against inner surfaces of the bottom slats, as will be clearly understood by reference to Figure 1. Suitably alined apertures are provided in the lugs or ears 26 of the corner plates 25 adapted to receive suitable rivets 2'7 which secure together the parts as will be understood by reference to Figure 1.

At the upper and lower corners of the crate walls, anchor plates 28 are provided in place of the anchor plates 18, shown in Figure 5. The anchor plates 28 are each provided with a single offset car 29 adapted to be seated between the two upper slats 4 and 5 of the side walls and between the slats 8 and 9 of the end walls, as shown in Figure 1. The ears 29 are each provided with an aperture 31 adapted to be alined with the channels provided in the corner plates 13, whereby locking wires 24 may be inserted through the apertures 31 to secure the lower ends of the anchor plates 28 in position in the crate wall. The opposite end of each anchor plate 28 has an aperture 32 adapted to receive one of the rivets 33 securing the nesting brackets 34 to the upper portions of the crate walls, as shown in Figure 1. The anchor plate 28 provided at each lower corher of the crate is adapted to be engaged with one of the rivets 2'7 securing the corner irons 25 to the corners of the crate, and each has its upper outwardly bent end portion 29 seated between the lower slats of the end walls of the crate, as clearly illustrated in Figure 1. The end portions 29 of the lower anchor plates 28 are secured in place by locking wires 24 in a manner similar to the anchor plates 18.

A suitable grid 30 is shown secured to the lower slats of the crate to provide a bottom therefor. The lower edges of the crate walls are suitably reinforced by means of metallic rails 34 and 35 suitably secured to the lower slats '7 and 11 by such means as rivets, not shown. These rails provide runners for the crate and at the same time, prevent'the lower edges of the crate from becoming damaged by rough handling, to which crates of this character are often subjected.

The above construction provides a crate which may readily and quickly be repaired when one or more of the slats of the walls thereof become damaged or broken. To remove a slat from one of the walls of the crate, it is only necessary to remove the locking wires 24 at one side of the crate, after which the damaged slat may be removed therefrom, as shown in Figure 4. When a slat is being removed from the crate wall, the end A of the slat, when withdrawn from its position within the corner plate 13, may cause the latter to be sprung outwardly a trifle, as shown in Figure 4. These corner plates, however, are made from relatively thin material so that they may readily be sprung without interfering with the operation of removing the broken slat from the crate wall. The new slat may readily be inserted in place in the crate wall, as will be understood by reference to Figure 4. It will therefore be seen that it is not necessary to remove the corner plates 13 from the crate when removing a slat, which greatly facilitates and speeds up the operation of repairing broken crates. The structure is also very simple and inexpensive, and comprises very few parts whereby it may be manufactured at a very small cost.

We claim as our invention:

1. A crate having walls composed of slats arranged one upon another, angle plates fitting the outer corners of the crate and secured thereto and concealing the ends of said slats, U-shaped anchor plates seated against inner surfaces of certain of said slats adjacent the corners of the crate and having portions projecting between contiguous slats, and locking elements engaging outer surfaces of the crate walls and the outwardly projecting portions of said anchor plates to thereby secure said anchor plates in operative positions, whereby the slats supported by said anchor plates are retained in position in the walls, said locking elements being readily disengaged from said anchor plates, whereby the anchor plate of a broken slat may be detached from the crate wall, to thereby permit the broken slat to be removed from the crate.

2. A crate having walls composed of slats arranged oneupon another, angle plates secured to the outer corners of said crate and concealing the ends of the slats, U-shaped anchor plates seated against inner surfaces of certain of said slats adjacent the corners of the crate and having apertured ears projecting outwardly between the joints of contiguous slats, and locking elements engaging outer surfaces of the crate walls and traversing the apertures in the ears of said U-shaped anchor plates to thereby secure said anchor plates in operative positions, whereby the slats engaged therewith are retained in position in the walls, said locking elements being readily disengaged from said anchor plates, whereby the anchor plate of a broken slat may be removed from the crate, to thereby permit the broken slat to be removed from its wall.

3. A crate having walls composed of slats arranged one upon another with their ends disposed alternately at the corners of the crate, angle plates fitting the outer corners of the crate and secured thereto and concealing the ends of the slats, said angle plates having slits in the edges thereof, strap-like anchor plates seated against inner surfaces of some of said slats and each having an end portion bent outwardly and projecting between contiguous slats and received in one of the slits in said angle plates, and a locking wire securing each anchor plate in operative positions and cooperating therewith to encircle one of said slats, and whereby the ends of the slats supported by said anchor plates are secured in position in the crate walls, disengagement of the locking wire from the anchor plate of a broken slat permitting said broken slat to be removed from its wall without loosening or removing said angle plates.

4. A crate having walls composed of slats arranged one upon another and provided with vertically disposed alined recesses adjacent the corners of the crate, angle plates fitting theouter corners of the crate and secured thereto and having channels adapted to be received in said recesses, strap- 1'3 like anchor plates seated against inner surfaces of some of said slats and having their end portions bent outwardly and seated between contiguous slats, said end portions having apertures therein alined with the vertically disposed chan- '3 nels in said angle plates, and a locking wire seated in each channel and received in the apertures of the anchor plates alined therewith and cooperating with said anchor plates to encircle said slats,

to thereby secure said anchor plates in operative selected slat which may have been damaged, to thereby permit the removal of said damaged slat from the crate wall, without loosening or detaching other parts of the crate.

5. A crate having walls composed of slats arranged one upon another with their ends alternately disposed at the corners of the crate, said slats having alined recesses in their outer surfaces adjacent the corners of the crate, angle plates fitting over the outer corners of the crate and secured thereto, said angle plates having channels received in the recesses in said slats and having slits in the edges thereof traversing said channels, strap-like anchor plates seated against inner surfaces of certain of said slats and each having its end portions bent at substantially right angles to the body thereof and extending outwardly through the joints between contiguous slats and received in certain of the slits in said angle plates, said outwardly bent end portions having apertures therein alined with the channels in said angle plates, and locking wires movably supported in said channels and traversing the apertures in the offset end portions of said anchor plates, whereby the latter are secured in operative positions and cooperating with said anchor plates to encircle said slats to thereby secure the ends of the slats engaged therewith, in position in the crate walls, disengagement of the locking wire from the anchor plate of a broken or damaged slat permitting the removal of said broken slat from the crate and the substitution of a new one therefor, without loosening or detaching other parts of the crate.

CHARLES A. WOOLSEY.

HENRY V. BOWMAN. 

